WWE SmackDown Preview (12/23/22): Usos defend, Imperium in action
Tonight’s SmackDown was taped last Friday from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois, due to Christmas week.
On last week’s SmackDown, Ricochet unsuccessfully challenged Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship in a MOTY candidate. After the match, Imperium launched a post-match assault on the former champion, before Braun Strowman came out to even the odds.
Tonight’s SmackDown will be headlined by a Miracle on 34th Street Fight where Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci (Imperium) will face Strowman and Ricochet in tag team action. With Strowman being Gunther’s next probable challenger, expect the babyfaces to pick up the win here.
Elsewhere, Hit Row will challenge The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships. Hit Row earned their title shot after prevailing in a triple threat match, also involving the Viking Raiders and Legado del Fantasma, last week. The Usos should comfortably retain their titles and extend their record-breaking reign.
Gauntlet matches have often bore witness to star making performances from the likes of Seth Rollins, Kofi Kingston and more. Xia Li, Emma, Tegan Nox, Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, Sonya Deville and Shayna Baszler will collide in a gauntlet match to determine the No. 1 contender for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Over the past few weeks, it’s been apparent that Rodriguez is being primed to step up to Ronda Rousey. Rodriguez will thus be the favorite heading into this match, though Baszler’s involvement does spice things up.
Rey Mysterio is also scheduled to wrestle on tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Mysterio will take on Angel Garza in singles action tonight. However, Rey has a lot more on his plate than just Garza. Karrion Kross and Scarlett may be lurking in the shadows.
We’ll keep you updated with the latest developments regarding tonight’s show.
***
CHECK OUT more of our WWE coverage!
